Obsession
by Tigeress33565
Summary: They had figured it out early-only at the age of two.  Their father and master had not even had to say it.Leo was the leader. Raph was the fighter. Donnie was the genius. Mikey was the baby. Mikey wants to know why.


Mikey was the little brother. He was the baby.

The eldest three knew this-had accepted this since they were young.

They had figured it out early-only at the age of two. Their father and master had not even had to say it.

Leo was the leader.

Raph was the fighter.

Donnie was the genius.

Mikey was the baby.

Of course, the orange masked turtle didn't understand why he was considered the youngest. He fought just as hard-his goofing around in training hadn't been as bad as it had when they were younger-and he did his chores. He cooked, he cleaned-sometimes…-and he did his daily work.

Sure, he joked and laughed more than the others, and he wasn't as world wary as them but was that really a reason to be considered the youngest-and therefore, the less capable? He could kick as much shell as Donny and Raph. Leo was the best fighter, Raph was the strongest, and Donny was the smartest. But Mikey was the fastest. He always beat the others in races, and he was awesome at blocking and dodging.

Why couldn't they see that! Why did they constantly treat him like he was made of glass? Why did they always try to block the bad stuff from the world? He wasn't fragile…he was a ninja-just like them! Why…

It was becoming an obsession for Mikey. Why did they treat him like that! Klunk purred loudly-bringing Mikey from his thoughts as he stroked the small orange kitten.

"Mikey!" he heard Donny call from the other room.

Now was the time to ask. Now was the time that Michelangelo was going to figure out this conundrum (Take that Donny! He did so pay attention…occasionally…).

"What!" he answered, picking up the small kitten and holding him to his hard chest before walking out of the room.

"I need your help with this design, should the shell phones have video communication or enhanced audio?" his immediate older brother asked as he entered the room.

"Video…" he murmured as he slumped into the couch.

Donny didn't immediately notice his subdued tone of voice and with quick thanks began to make the modifications.

Raph and Leo were going over some sort of lair defenses close by to the youngest mutant-who sighed loudly, hoping to get at least one of his brothers attention.

No one noticed and Mikey pouted slightly-smiling when Klunk butted his hand with his fuzzy head and meowed quietly.

"Good boy, you won't ignore me, will ya' buddy?" he whispered, his brown eyes softening into goo as he began to pet his pet.

"We aren't ignoring you Mikey." Leo said, not looking up from his defense papers.

"If you say so Bro." Mikey grinned, knowing that the words would bug his eldest brother.

"We aren't."

"He's trying to get under your skin so you'll pay attention to him idiot." Raph muttered, his rough voice distracting Leo even more from the papers.

"I know that, I'm just saying-"

"That you're ignoring me?" Mikey grinned, his amused eyes landing on the blue masked turtle at the table next to his other elder brother.

"I'm not ignoring you!"

"'course not." Mikey shrugged and snickered as he saw annoyance cross Leo's face.

"Is there somethin' you wanted Mikey?" Donny asked as he looked up from his tinkering with the shell phones.

"Just wanted to ask you guys a question."

"No. You're not adopted Mike."

"We don't know that, but that wasn't it!"

"Yes, one day I'll take you to see The Ancient One's house."

"Awesome! But no, that's not it-"

"Mastah Splintah doesn't secretly love cheese Mikey! How many times 'em I gonna have ta' say it!"

"Yes he does! But again-wrong older brother." Mikey smirked, rolling onto his stomach with his head resting on his hands and his legs crossed in the air.

"Then what else is it?" Leo asked, this time seriously curious. Mikey might actually have a legit question this time.

"Why do you all call me the baby?" they were all silent-except for Klunk's purr as he settled on the top of Mikey's shell and began to nap contently.

"I mean, I do my share of the work. I help in patrol and I'm getting better in training. I up'ed my speed like Donny suggested so that we all had a strength different from each other. I cook, I clean…sort of. Why do you guys insist on covering me up from the world?" he began to get agitated at their silence, so much so that he began to fidget.

"Well?"

Donny cleared his throat, "W-what…brought this on Mikey?"

"Does it matter?" Was it really so hard for them to answer?

"U-um…so who won that fight this morning on Justice Force today?" Leo offered, hoping his youngest brother would drop the subject and explain in detail what happened on the show that morning.

"The good guys-like always! Stop stallin'!" The youngest glared at Leo, making the other gulp.

"Jus' drop it bro." Raph frowned, finally looking up from the sewer blue prints.

"Shell no. Tell me why you all treat me like I'm five." He glared back at his strongest brother.

"No." Raph glared back, his hands clenching.

"Tell me or else." Mikey clenched his own fists, mocking his second oldest brother's attempt at intimidating him into shutting up.

"Or else what? You'll sick Kitty over there on me?" Raph snorted, going back to his papers.

"You asked for it." Mikey grinned and grabbed the remote, clicking the TV on and changing it to the correct channel.

"_And we're back with Dr. Jacksonian-_"

"No!" Raph snarled, he hated that jackass.

"Yes~" Mikey sang, turning the volume on full blast as the man spock.

"_As an expert on insects and bugs in general, how do you describe the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach?_"

The doctor cleared his throat and Raph stood quickly, "_Well. For one they are huge. They also hiss and like small, warm places. If one is in your house, try looking in beds. Any place you sleep in-_"

"MIKEY!" the red masked turtle mutant snarled and charged towards the other-who just grinned and tied something to the remote-one of the cat treats he always had in his belt-and tossed it to the floor.

Klunk was up in an instant-taking off with the small remote into Mikey's room-forever losing the sliver stick. Or until Mikey cleaned his room and found it.

"_The cockroach also hisses loudly. I believe there is actually a record for how many of them someone can put in their mouths._"

"Turn it off Mikey!" Raph snarled and Mikey smirked.

"Tell me why."

"No-"

"_Unlike the Madagascar roaches, American ones are disgusting. They eat basically garbage and can live in large colonies-_"

"Fine! Just turn it off!" The hot headed turtle covered his ears and shivered. He hated bugs.

"Promise!"

"No-"

"-_some do eat on flesh and-_"

"F-fine!"

"Cool!"

Before the others could blink, Mikey had flipped off the couch and pressed the power button manually.

"Why you-"

"Promises, promises big bro." The orange clayed turtle just grinned, sitting down and crossing his legs 'Indian style' on the couch-his green hands holding his ankles as he looked at his second eldest brother.

Raphael grumbled something but dropped to the floor, copying Mikey's position and motioning for Donny and Leo to join them on the carpet.

With one exasperated sigh and another nervous one-both brothers completed the foursome in the 'living room'

"So?" Michelangelo leaned forward in excitement.

He was finally gonna get his answers! He was finally gonna stop getting sheltered and overly protected by his brothers!

The last of the three thoughts didn't give him as much satisfaction as he would have liked. Yes…He didn't like being sheltered, but…being protected was nice. He liked feeling like his brothers loved him, enough to protect him through anything.

"So…" Donny coughed, looking at his folded knees under him.

Leo sighed and crossed his arms.

"Mikey…Do you really have to question it? Can't you just humor us?"

"Nope. I've made you laugh plenty of times." Mikey rocked back and gave his leader a look.

"Fine…" Leo sighed, holding back a face-palm at his youngest brother's words.

"So why do you three shelter me. Why am I the baby?"

"Well…" Raph rubbed the back of his head, "Let's jus' say yer' the…most innocent." The red masked turtle teen tried to explain to his youngest brother.

"The most…innocent. You treat me like a kid 'cause I'm innocent!" Mikey glared, his hands tensing in their clenched positions on his ankles.

"No-well, yes-but-well…there's more to it than that." Leo quickly amended Raph's statement, sending his immediate youngest brother a slight look before continuing the explanation.

"More to it?"

"Yes. You are indeed the most innocent…but your also the most…how to put it lightly?"

"Easily tricked? Naïve? Likely to see the non-existent good in people?" Raph supplied, inspecting one of his large green fingers.

"Raph!" Donny reprimanded lightly, his brown eyes going to look at Mikey.

The youngest turtle was staring at them, trying to comprehend what they were dancing around.

"Basically speaking, Mikey. We call you the baby of the group and try to protect you the most because…" Donny glanced at his older brothers before continuing, "'cause we're you big brothers."

"Yeah. We gotta protect you. It's our job." Raph snorted, giving Mikey a look.

"And we shelter you-" Leo cut Mikey's question off early, "-because the world is a horrible place Mikey. And you symbolize way too much for us to let it destroy your way of thinking."

"Much as I hate ta' admit it, Fearless's got a point. Ya' make us optimistic bro." Raphael grinned, winking at his youngest brother.

"So…you call me the baby…'cause your over-protective?" Mikey raised an eye arch at them and Donny grinned.

"Pretty much."

"Whelp…this has got to be the worst obsession I've had since…wanting to live in Hawaii." Mikey muttered, standing up to shake his head as he walked away from his brothers-clicking his tongue for Klunk to follow him as he went into the sewers to skateboard his disappointment away.

Moments after the sound of their youngest brother riding away, the three went back to what they had been doing.

Raph and Leo looking over the lair defense plans and Donny working on the shell phones.

"Why didn't we lie to him…and where do you think he's going?"

Leo looked up and met Donny's eyes, the same thing going through all three of their heads.

Shell,

"Aw, He's gonna go tell April an' Casey isn't 'e?" Raph groaned.

Laughter filled the apartment as Mikey finished his tale of his brother's explanation and Casey fell to the floor in hysterics.

"Raph is never going to live this down!"

Mikey changed his mind with a grin; this had to be his best obsession yet.


End file.
